1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to animal trapping hunting, and more particularly to systems and methods for trapping wild animals using a wall-less trap that facilitates luring the animals into the proper position to close the trap and capture the animals.
2. Related Art
Feral hogs can cause a great deal of damage to crops, eating some and simply destroying others. The hogs can ruin springs and ponds by creating mud wallows, thereby affecting wildlife habitats. Still further, feral hogs are predators, and may kill deer fawns, goat kids and other small animals. They may even attack humans. The problems caused by feral hogs are increasing because the number of hogs is increasing (they are prolific breeders), and because feral hogs are relatively intelligent and consequently difficult to trap.
Traps that are used to capture feral hogs are conventionally completely enclosed except for one (or sometimes two) trap doors. The hogs are expected to enter the enclosure and trigger a release mechanism that closes the door(s), trapping the animal inside the enclosure. These traps may be difficult to set because the trigger mechanisms for the door(s) of the trap are often either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. Additionally, feral hogs typically are wary of the enclosures and will simply refuse to go inside. Obviously, if the hogs do not enter these traps, they cannot be captured in the traps.
Even when a hog is captured in a conventional trap, the design of the trap may present some difficulties. For example, when a hog or other animal is captured in the trap, it may necessary to transport the animal type location and release it, but it may be difficult and dangerous to release the animal because this may place the trapper in close proximity to the animal. It is also sometimes necessary for the trapper to actually crawl into the enclosure to retrieve an animal that has died in the trap, or has been injured and cannot or will not exit the trap on its own. Occasionally, a dead or injured animal will fall against the door, making it even more difficult for the trapper to retrieve the animal from the enclosure.